110 octane

[MFW]

So, I wanted to start using ethanol free gasoline in my Stock Honda Big Reds 250es. My bikes sit way more then anything and wanted to use a ethanol free gasoline since it lasts longer. I purchased 110 octane race fuel for them. Is this safe to use or am I good to go?

Thanks
Matthew

[Supraman0614]

Ethanol free gas does not last any longer than regular gas. It just does not absorb as much water from the air. Since your three wheeler doesn't have a computer to adjust the ignition timing, and you don't have EFI, running $8 a gallon gas will do nothing but empty your wallet faster. The higher the octane, the slower it will burn, so unless you tune your carb, exhaust, and timing for 110 octane, you will likely see your performance degraded. Stick with ethanol-free 90 or 91 and have fun when you want to ride. Put some fuel stabilizer in the tank if you don't ride often. That will keep it fresh enough.

[Baba Yaga]

Stabilizer is good. AvGas has a lengthy shelf life, and is ethanol free.

[ps2fixer]

The typical E10 pump gas has a storage life of something like 3-6 months max if properly stored. A small amount of moisture spoils the fuel though as the ethanol separates out, just moisture in the air can cause this effect, we see it all the time on 3 wheeler and other metal tanks, bottom is rusted out.

It's been a while since I've seen suggested storage times, but I think before ethanol was in the gas, it was suggested the life span was 6-12 months and the aging was more due to the gas chemically changing with the exposure to oxygen and such. Old time test was to smell the gas and look at it, if it wasn't a darker yellow color than normal and didn't smell like turpentine, it was good for most uses. Today, you pretty much have to check if there's separation in the bottom or not, and the additives might not last as long. The ethanol raises the octane level a fair bit even though it's only 10%, so it can drop the pump gas octane rating a bit if separated out.

Around here, the ethanol free fuel is called recreation fuel, and is sold as 90-91 octane and rides around $1 more per gal. This fuel is suggested for any engine that tends to sit a long time, has a carb, or the parts are not designed for the E10 fuel such as our 3 wheelers and their metal tanks.


Talking about tanks. The old advice was to fill the tank up before storage, the logic was gas is anti corrosive similar to oil and other petroleum products, and it would displace the air in the tank so less water can build up with the temp changes. That era it was more common for the top of the tanks to get rust, but the bottom of the tanks could rust out too if enough moisture got int and water settled in the bottom (gas floats on water). This is all null and void with E10 gas.

E10 gas on the other hand, it's suggested to run the tank completely empty before storage if the tank is metal, or turn off the fuel to the carb and run the carb out of fuel. The moisture problem is nothing compared to the ethanol effects if it can get enough moisture to separate. Ethanol and water mix also sinks to the bottom but the rusting effect is much faster.


The actual octane rating doesn't mater a whole lot unless you have an engine that requires a higher octane rating. 87+ should be fine, the owner's manual might give a min octane spec. Not worth the huge boost in price for 100+ octane vs normal rect fuel.




This is how I understand how things are, but I'm not a scientist so always fact check.

Here's a fun video though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEf9Fdvx_Sc

[86waterpumper]

I think you guys up north may see 3 to 6 months out of e10... I live in TN,(constant rain/ humidity), I can tell you, that you are lucky to get 1 month... out of E10 here. There is no way I would ever pour it in any lawnmower, or trike or anything other than a daily driver car. Gas around here has become a real problem. Most airports, wont' sell av fuel to you unless you are a pilot. There are stations with 93 octane non eth. However, nobody hardly ever buys it, so it ends up being old, or just junk gas for whatever reason. It does not burn clean or work well. I am nearly to the point to buy race gas, just because none of the other options work. MFW is on the right track. Maybe 110 octane is overkill for a big red. But if the bike sits, the octane drops over time anyway? At least, you know you have good gas, so I am of the same mindset. I do think that you can get VP gas, or some type of "race" gas, that is made for off road/utv use, or circle track whatever, that ranges between 96 and 101/102 octane? So I don't think you have to go all the way to 110. Not sure how easy those are to get, or what the cost is compared to higher octanes.

[ps2fixer]

I'm not sure how good/bad it is, but you could buy mid grade or prem gas at the pump (the E10 stuff) and add water and separate out the ethanol. Its octane rating will drop, but I'm not sure by how much, shouldn't be a whole lot, maybe like 89 -> 87. If there's no other options, that might work. Some additives might mix in the water with the ethanol and I'm not sure how to dispose the ethanol water mix when it's separated. It takes very little water to get the ethanol to drop out, maybe it can be a high enough % to burn yet for heat/fire starter etc. The price of the fuel doing it this way is a lot cheaper, just not sure if there's bad out comes running the fuel processed this way for long term.

I haven't had too many problems with gas going bad, but I use good air tight containers, like they always build up pressure or create a vacuum with the temp changes. I drive older Toyota vehicles and their fuel systems are closed and air tight too. Like I bought a 1986 Toyota pickup from the original owner, sat in a garage 20-25 years. Critters ate up some wiring, so after fixing that, I tested it by dumping a little gas down the carb and cranked it and she fired right up... and kept running! I turned it off and checked the tank fill tube (smelled it) and it had a little bit of the old gas smell, but wasn't strong at all. I drove it down the dirt road I live in a mile down and back and she ran pretty well, wasn't running it hard or anything. Brakes even worked yet which was amazing since the frame and such was rusted up pretty bad from moisture. That fuel was probably before the whole E10 stuff though, or around the time it first started (lower %?).

Too many people choose to buy the cheapest thing possible even if the quality is garbage, they keep buying the junk stuff. Once people see the cheapest stuff isn't the best deal and they start buying quality things again, we won't see this garbage go away. That goes for gas, atv parts, electronics, etc.